Home is Where the Heart is.

The Taste of Fall

For some, autumn signals the end of long, sunny summer days. For others, it’s a welcome change to the air and for many, it means just one thing….PUMPKIN!

Out shopping recently, I was overwhelmed, more this year, than any year before, by the number of seasonal items that are pumpkin flavored. There’s the classic pumpkin spiced latte and pumpkin muffins. But I also saw pumpkin flavored ginger ale, pumpkin cream cheese and pumpkin flavored Cheerios. You may love it, you may hate it; I choose to embrace it.

This got me thinking and researching unique pumpkin recipes and I decided to share a few with you all. Enjoy!

Pumpkin French Toast Roll-ups (Susie Gall/Simply Sated)

http://www.simplysated.com/pumpkin-french-toast-roll-ups/

Firecracker Stir Fried Pumpkin, Bok Choy, and Cashews (Food Network/Allison Day, Purely Pumpkin: More than 100 Seasonal Recipes to Share, Savor, and Warm Your Kitchen)

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/firecracker-stir-fried-pumpkin-bok-choy-and-cashews/19023/

White Bean Pumpkin Hummus (Megan Green/My Bacon-Wrapped Life)

http://www.mybaconwrappedlife.com/white-bean-pumpkin-hummus/

Pumpkin Margarita (Food Network/Pure Leaf)

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/pumpkin-margarita/15836/

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Nanaimo Bars (Food Network/Lisa Bolton, foodwellsaid.com)

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/dark-chocolate-pumpkin-nanaimo-bars/17178/

Posted on October 23, 2017

Shelley Nicholson

Transitioning from Summer to Fall

First, only the nights are cooler, with the warm rays of the sun still shining during the day. But eventually that chill lasts into the late morning, the days become a little shorter and all of a sudden the long, lazy days of summer have changed as quickly as the leaves.

It always catches me by surprise, this time of year that isn’t really summer anymore, but isn’t quite yet autumn. Just like my t-shirts and flip flops start to look a little out of place, so do my vibrant floral throw pillows and pastel table runners.

Transitioning your home from one season to the next doesn’t have to mean completely rearranging your décor, nor does it have to take all that long. Here are some ideas for quickly getting your home ready for the golden glow of fall:

Replace throw pillows on sofas, chairs and beds. Solid fabrics can be shifted from lighter colors to deeper, richer greens, golds, rust and reds, while patterns can turn from ginghams or florals to plaids or scenic.
Switch out tablecloths, placemats and table runners. Many of the same rules listed for pillows apply. Also try finding fabrics embroidered with threads in fall colors, gold, orange, forest green etc.
Glass bowls, vases and other displays can remain; just swap the content. For example, try apples where you usually display lemons or pumpkin scented candles to replace lavender.
The simplest of all? A wreath for your front door. There’s no end to fall wreaths at specialty boutiques, craft shows or, be really adventurous and make one yourself!

You can’t stop the seasons from changing, but you CAN prepare your home for it!

Photo credit: Rikki Snyder Photography

Posted on October 16, 2017

Shelley Nicholson

What Once was Old is New Again

Greetings to All!

I’ve had a busy summer here at Golden Hill Studio, continuing to create elegant, hand-painted glassware with a European influence, keeping up with the numerous varieties of annuals and perennials in the gardens and hosting our home décor sale several weeks ago.

We hit September running, and are most excited to share that online magazine, My Houzz, shared not one, but TWO articles about Golden Hill Studio!

I was fortunate enough to spend some time with photographer, and My Houzz contributor Rikki Snyder and am just thrilled with all the incredible images she took while she was here.

The first article, “An Updated 1850s Farmhouse Gem in New York”, discusses all the renovations I’ve done over the years and takes you on an inside tour of just about every nook and cranny of my home/studio.

Click here to see the full article:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/91446773/list/my-houzz-an-updated-1850s-farmhouse-gem-in-new-york

The second article, “Lush, Wooded Setting for a Live-Work Home”, shares my journey from having not much of a yard at all, to the landscaping and gardening done over the years, by me, my parents, and a high school kid with a love of stonework who went on to study landscaping and eventually became a professor of plant and animal science.

Click here to see the full article:

https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/91446997/list/my-houzz-lush-wooded-setting-for-a-live-work-home

Posted on October 09, 2017

Shelley Nicholson

Summertime is party time!

When the days are longer (and warmer!), I am just naturally inclined to want to be outdoors enjoying the weather with my loved ones. There’s no better time to have...

Posted on September 19, 2017

Elizabeth Hestle

Glass painting projects you can do at home

I love coming together with my family and friends around the dinner table. It’s one of the reasons why I started a business around handpainted glassware. But I’ve also found...

Posted on September 19, 2017

Elizabeth Hestle